What does a good fire steel cost?

C

coote

Joined
Apr 3, 2006
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Fire steels aren't readily available in my part of the world, and when they are available they seem to be fairly expensive.

What brand is the best value for money, and how much do you generally have to pay for them?

If I choose to try to buy one over the internet I may be limited in my choice of sources because not every supplier will send overseas. But if you folks tell me what a good price is, I will be able to weigh up my options.

I guess I don't really need one, but they do have a certain appeal to a bloke like me.

Many thanks in advance......Coote, Nelson, New Zealand.
 
coote said:
Fire steels aren't readily available in my part of the world, and when they are available they seem to be fairly expensive.

What brand is the best value for money, and how much do you generally have to pay for them?

If I choose to try to buy one over the internet I may be limited in my choice of sources because not every supplier will send overseas. But if you folks tell me what a good price is, I will be able to weigh up my options.

I guess I don't really need one, but they do have a certain appeal to a bloke like me.

Many thanks in advance......Coote, Nelson, New Zealand.
Click to expand...

The cheapest I found on froogle.com was $9 - I got mine for $10.
 
Coote,

They range from $6 - $15 from what I've seen. They aren't sold in Brazil either.

I like the BSA Hotspark, they only cost about $2.50 and they are small enough to put on the wrist lanyard of a knife. I have all my "loaner" SWAK knives set up like this. It makes a handy combination. Mac

moraswak12bl.jpg
 
I just bought 4 of the Boy Scouts of America "Hot Spark" ones today; cost was USD 2.40 each plus sales tax.

On the package, I see the following website:

http://www.bsa.scouting.org

Item number is 01167

Name on package is "hot-spark fire starter"

It's just like what you see attached to Pict's Swedish-mil-issue Mora: no magnesium bar or other bells and whistles (though it does come with a little flat steel scraper.) Still, at that price, and that compact, I think it's very good for compact kit use.
 
i use my light my fire, fire steel.Im not sure if different companys use a different formula.The scout is smaller alternitive its cheaper too.
 
I have a couple I bought from Bagheera's scout troup way back when, but I'm not sure if his troup still fools with selling them internationally. Mine are the fatter "Amy" model made by Light-My-Fire, a Swedish company.

Just did a Google search, and found that Light-My-Fire now has a U.S. division. Here's the list of sellers at their website.

http://lightmyfireusa.com/wheretobuy.html

I also see that Amazon sells them.
 
I went to the scout site and typed in the code and it tells me the number is unknown . I would like to give the scouts my money so if somebody can tell me what I am doing wrong or tell me another way .
 
Yo Kevin... I hope this link will take you to the page showing the fire steels at Scoutstuff.org

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/SearchPage.aspx?page=LIST&free_text=camp%20equipment&answers_per_page=15

I have ordered some of these, and I currently have an enquiry waiting to be answered at magfireusa.com regarding the Swedish fire steel.

Thanks very much everybody for your input.

Pict...I've been thinking about that loaner knife you posted a picture of above. I reckon that one could probably go in and out of the sheath quite easily with one hand...would that be right? What is the brand name of that one? Thanks in advance... Coote.
 
Thanks Coote . I carry bic lighters with me in the woods . They are unreliable .
What I like about the fire steels is their durability . I am concerned in very cold weather when hands stiffen up . I have had hands so cold I couldn,t feel a match between two fingers .
 
Coote,

That's a Frost's Swedish Army Knife. Scandi grind, stainless, mora. In the US they sell for about $10. I have had very good expereinces with these knives, they are a great buy.

They are easy to use one handed. The only trouble is that the sheath does not hold them as securely as I'd like. I have my studednts pass the Hotspark under their belt. That way they can still draw the knife one-handed but it is less likely to pop out inthe bush. I give each student a Mora SWAK and a 14 inch Tramontina machete. They make a good pair.
vayy074uc5.jpg


rvasvitimasnj6.jpg


At $10 each I can afford to loan these out to newbies and if they get messed up it's not the end of the world. The low price is no indication of the quality of these knives, they are very functional. Mac
 
For the best performance, I would recommend the Army model of the Swedish Fire Steel. dlttradingcompany.com has them for $15, I don't know if they ship internationally. Another virtually identical product is the Magfire Pro, $15 at magfireusa.com. I don't know if they ship internationally.

Other sources that ship internationally include:

http://www.latestbuy.com.au/firesteel_gadget.html

http://www.jazebra.com/swedish-firesteel-army.html

http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/swedish-firesteel.html

http://www.bushgear.co.uk/acatalog/Survival_Tools.html

Those are just a few that showed up in a dogpile search for Swedish Army Fire Steel. You get much better sparks from the larger diameter ferro rods. I have BSA hotsparks, and the Swedish Army fire steel and Magfire throw much better sparks.

And even better for sparks are the Ultimate Survival Strike Force or Blastmatch. The Strike Force is a little bulky, and the Blast Match has a design that requires you to push it into the tinder pile, but both throw tremendous sparks. For general purpose use, I think the Swedish Fire Steel (army model) or Magfire are the best option.
 
Thanks for the further information. Yep... the Swedish Fire Steel does seem to be one with consistently good reviews. I am waiting to hear from Magfireusa.com to see if they will post to New Zealand, but meanwhile I have placed an order for some BSA Hot Sparks. Because they are rare and expensive here, I should be able to sell any surplus to my buddies. I appreciate all the opinions and links.

Ah yes Pict... that knife bears a close resemblance to the Frost knife I have. Mine too was relatively cheap for this country... NZ$18. It has a plastic sheath as well, but unfortunately instead of having slots for a belt, it has a plastic clip which hooks over your belt (or the edge of your pocket etc), and to me this is not secure. Currently it is my knife of choice when I have a large animal to skin and cut up. The plastic sheath makes the knife safe to carry in a pack, and it is hygienic....easy to wash out. The knife holds a good edge and it seemed to have almost supernatural cutting power when I first took it out of the sheath (it appeared to have a very fine set of mini serrations on the edge).

I enjoy spending time at this forum. Thanks.
 
Coote I wonder if you could cut a couple of slots for belt loops in the sheath . Maybe drill four holes in the four ends and file them until you can get a hacksaw in the slot .
I am currently dickering for a mora knife with a red birch handle . I wonder if the blade is the same quality as the swiss army ?
 
Coote,

Sounds like a Clipper. I had the same problem with mine. Its just too easy to knock it off a pocket or belt with the clips alone.

I picked up this mod from another forum. Drill three holes in the sheath, one at the top and two at the bottom between the clips. Run a paracord loop through. This way you can run your belt through the clips and inside the loop and it will stay put. I put a drop of crazy glue on the knot to keep it secure.

moraclipperparacordzj1.jpg

Mac
 
Good suggestions regarding that plastic sheath thanks Kevin and Mac. I hadn't really thought about it.

Yes the brand name for my Frosts knife may well have been "Clipper".

Here is a picture showing the Clipper and some other knives. The white sheaths don't look very nice compared to a nicely made leather one, but they are strong and functional. This white stuff is the food grade conveyor belting I referred to in another thread. The little knife is a ground down file which I use as a steel to strike flint or quartz for firelighting... but it has a sharp end to make it a bit more versatile. The end of the handle had the "waist" ground into it so I could attach a cord, but frankly it is a bit of a nuisance when I use it as a striker.

The other knives are home-made ones which provide adequate service. The shorter one with the fat handle had a blade forged from an old file. The blade has a long tang which onto which the handle was simply hammered (after drilling a hole in the handle). I have had it quite a while and the handle is still firmly in place. The skinny knife has a blade made from a bit of big bandsaw blade obtained from a sawmill. It is a handy size and is not a nuisance to carry. I think the handle scales were simply riveted to the blade with some copper wire that was just under an eighth of an inch in diameter. It is still holding together nicely.

I have owned dozens of knives, many of them factory made. I admire many of the commercially made knives advertised for sale, but I have to say that the old home-made ones do most jobs perfectly well without costing much at all. And it is kind of satisfying knowing that if you lose all your knives you can make another.... and it is good to use tools that you or a buddy have made. If you like you can spend more time on them getting a perfect grind or a nicely polished handle, but I have never really bothered. Some folks do of course.

Variousknives.jpg
 
Hey Guys...

My favorite Firesteel is the Magfire Pro

They can be found here

www.magfireusa.com

Martin is a Really nice guy to deal with and sell an excellent quality product..

I've also use the BS hotspark..Good firesteel,,but fairly small..However they are pretty cheap(inexpensive)..

As for the Moras..

Heres one of my sheaths for the Frost's clipper..
I also have them available for the SWAK with a Magfire Pro holder...

clippersheath.jpg


ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Eric That small sheath holding what looks like a muti-tool seems mighty short . It does look form fitting . Does it hold so securely that it may be hung from the neck upside down ?
 
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